Email idea to steal: user-generated copy

Nearly every online shop now collects user reviews from satisfied, and sometimes not so satisfied, customers. Once the reviews are published on the site, what then?

Cashmere apparel cataloguer Brora has great idea for using online reviews to keep in touch with its customers by email. The “Brora Customer Favourites” email featured 10 items from the Brora collection that have attracted glowing references from customers. And it’s an easy idea to steal. Simply select a few of your best-selling items, or the ones with the best reviews—the copy has been written for you. --MT

August Catalogue Log

Last year, the fact that we received just 71 catalogues in August seemed unusual to us. But this year, receiving just 61 catalogues in August came as no surprise. We have been tracking a steady decline in catalogue volume during the last few months—the only anomaly being July, when sale activity boosted the number of catalogues to land on the Catalogue Log desk.

Comparing the catalogues received in August 2009 with those logged in August 2010, some titles that appear in both columns, such as Books Direct, House of Bruar and Scotts of Stow. There also seemed to be an almost equal number of new names this year to compensate for lists we have been dropped from. This further cements the theory that cataloguers are mailing smarter, removing unprofitable names from their files.

Cataloguers are also becoming smarter with their covers. We have been tracking how many catalogues highlight a sale or discount, free shipping, or a free gift on their covers since January 2009 and have noted an increasing trend of using the cover to promote some sort of offer. A staggering 65.6 percent of all the catalogues we received in August featured some sort of offer on the front cover—in July that figure was 64 percent and in June it was 60 percent. Among the minority of catalogues without a special offer were Brora, the Dolls House Emporium, and Lakeland.


The most popular offer in August was a sale or discount, promoted on 41 percent of the catalogue covers we logged. This is appreciably lower than July’s record high of 49.5 percent. Gaining favour with cataloguers in August was free delivery—the number of catalogues touting free shipping almost doubled from 12.1 percent in July to 23 percent in August. Catalogues offering free delivery included Bon Prix, Joules and Boden, which repeated its Sunday Times offer of last year—a 15 percent discount, free delivery, and free returns. We thought it made Boden look needy last year, but it obviously works or Boden wouldn’t have used it again.

The number of catalogues offering a free gift with purchase was 11.5 percent, down from 12.1 percent in July and from 14.1 percent in August 2009. Free gifts were mainly promoted by the b-to-b catalogues in the pack including Viking Direct and Neat Ideas.

Our favourite offer of the month is from gardening catalogue Sarah Raven’s Kitchen & Garden. Among the messages on the cover was this: “Offers What’s yours? See page 49”. I thought it was a fun way to encourage customers to flick through the catalogue. It also had a sense of personalisation—did my catalogue have a different offer to my friend or neighbour’s? I’d like to think there was some sort of segmentation that went into deciding which offer to send to which tranche of the database. Let's put it to the test, I got 15 percent off. What did you get?--MT

Three highlights from our email inbox

A few emails in particular caught our eye this week. First up, from fashion cataloguer Brora:

This email alerts recipients to the Colourfinder tool on the Brora website. You select the pattern or colourway of the item you’re interested in, and it will show you all the products available in that shade and coordinating shades. No more worries about whether the blue of a certain cardigan matches the blue used in the floral pattern of the dress you’ve had your eye on. I imagine that this feature will reduce inbound service calls and help increase order sizes.

Next, from menswear mailer Brook Taverner, an email with the subject line “How to Tie the Perfect Half Windsor Knot”.

The email opens with several model shots and a paragraph with links to specific brands. This segues into a discussion of ties and knots. “There are different types of knot and which you use is not just a matter of taste but of getting the right knot for the right tie and shirt collar,” the copy states. I wasn’t aware that certain knots worked only with certain collars--and I’m not sure my husband is either. “The absolute definitive to master is the Half Windsor,” the email continues, “a symmetrical and triangular knot which can be used with any formal shirt and which lends itself to most ties in a light to medium weight fabric…” What follows are step-by-step directions complete with illustrations. The subject line encourages even those not in the market for a suit or other piece of attire to open the message; the nonselling information bolsters Brook Taverner’s credentials as a source for stylish, quality menswear.

Last but not least is the I Want One of Those (IWOOT) enewsletter.

Each issue of this newsletter tends to be several screens long, but it’s well worth scrolling down to the end—not simply to look over the etailer’s latest offers and odd new gadgets but also to read the fun facts featured in a section titled “Things We Didn’t Know About…” a particular subject. This week’s subject, in honour of the start of the school term, is “studies”. Thanks to IWOOT, I now know that Margaret Thatcher “was on the university science team which developed the first portable ice cream machines used in ice cream vans”. And then there’s this anecdote: “Seventy percent of the entire final mark of a Sociology A Level final exam was based on one question,'What is the bravest thing you've ever done in your life?'. One student wrote, 'This.', got up and walked out. He got an A.” Sheer brilliance all around.--SC

An email idea to steal

Received an email from knitwear cataloguer Brora that I loved: "We noticed you haven't bought from us yet..." read the subject line. The message itself was also straightforward: "We are really proud of this season's collection yet we don't seem to have tempted you to buy from us. Tell us why and we will send you a personalised discount code giving you 15% off your next order."

Embedded was a link to a page asking why Ihaven't purchased, with several replies to choose from, including "I couldn't find anything I liked in the latest collection", "Remind me who you are?", "I didn't enjoy my last experience", and the box I ticked off, "I am saving my pennies right now". There was also space left to add a comment.

I entered my response and within seconds received an email from Brora with my discount code.

What's so great about this effort: 1) It shows that Brora cares about my opinion and my custom; 2) It enables Brora to gather critical customer info very inexpensively; 3) It creates an additional point of contact with the customer; 4) It's so simple, for company and customer alike.

And yes, when I get home tonight I will revisit the Brora website, discount code at hand.--SC

Bunny love

What's not to love about the Easter email/online promotion from cashmere specialist Brora? It features cute bunnies, pretty eggs, and the opportunity to earn a 15-percent discount. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some virtual eggs to hunt for.--SC